


Corpses: When They Cry

by endlessgold



Category: Tokyo Ghoul, Umineko no Naku Koro ni | When the Seagulls Cry
Genre: Crossover, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Other, Self-Indulgent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:53:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28006497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/endlessgold/pseuds/endlessgold
Summary: In which Seidou Takizawa makes a deal with a certain witch.
Kudos: 5





	Corpses: When They Cry

**“I don't want to die.”**

Those words were written messily in black, the tears staining the page caused the ink to blotch and stain the page even more— rendering Seidou Takizawa's will and testament completely useless. 

Ah, well, it's not as if he had very much to give in the first place. 

The fear of death is natural for humans. 

Maybe that dread comes from a selfish desire, as humans cannot cope with the idea that a world where they don't exist can continue to rotate. 

Or maybe it is selfless after all, and humans fear the impact their death will have on their loved ones. If you think about it like that, it's sort of like a race, isn't it? A race to see who can make it to the finish line last. 

To someone who is neither human nor god, the topic of death becomes dull. She doesn't have anything to gain or lose from the deaths of humans, so she's become numb to these kinds of tragic stories. 

Watching a human curl up with his knees to his chest, crying because he's lost any chips he can bet against fate— it makes her feel disgusted.

… If it's going to be like this, she may as well give him something to bet on. 

“Rejoice, Seidou Takizawa. You won't die today, tomorrow, or the day after that.”

He nearly screams when he sees her, but his throat is dry and all he can manage is a small gasp. 

Despite his surprise, he doesn't seem scared of her. If it weren't for her emotionless expression, she would have had the appearance of a cute little girl. She was glad for it. His fear would be a nuisance for her. 

“Who. . .”

His voice rasps, but he trusts that she understands what he's trying to say. Those kinds of frivolous questions bore her, and she runs a hand through her blue hair. 

“Bernkastel. The Witch of Miracles. I've come to cast a few dice in your favor— all of them will land on ‘six’ of course.” 

“Wha—” Any surprise he had was taken over by confusion, and he looks at her as if she's some acquaintance who decided to pull a poor taste prank. “— What are you saying? Witches aren't real.”

She rolls her eyes and lets out a sigh that annoys him. Even though he's clearly older than her, she has the audacity to act condescending— if he wasn't so emotionally exhausted, he would probably scold her. But he can't bring himself to, and makes a mental note to call her out if they meet again. 

“.... A world where ghouls exist, but witches don't. How fascinating. Ah— I don't want to debate this right now— why don't you open that window?”

Somehow, following directions from her feels unnerving, but he doesn't have the energy to grumble about it. He stumbles as he stands, and slowly drags the curtains open. 

“..... You stopped time.”

It isn't until he says it that the reality of the situation clicks in his head. A lone bird is outside of the window, completely frozen in mid air- completely immune to the laws of gravity. 

“It would be annoying if you caused a fuss and alerted everyone of my visit, so I made a world where only we can speak to each other. If you still don't believe me, you can go outside and talk to your beloved mother. I can assure you she won't respond.”

He gulps and shakes his head, certain that he wouldn't be able to handle seeing something so bizarre. 

Besides, she just brought up something much more important. His mother. His family. The ones who he would end up leaving behind if he fought this battle. 

He closes the curtains and turns back to her— Bernkastel’s eyes barely widen with vague interest when she sees the expression he's making. 

That's the expression… of a protagonist who refuses to lose, even if it means betting all of his chips on one thing. 

“You said I'm not going to die, right?! So you're going to cut me a deal?!!”

She lets an amused smile appear on her face. Seidou may be as dull as other humans, but he shares a quality that she likes— the ability to take advantage of a situation and seize any opportunity he may have to find a better fate. 

….. He may even be able to become a sorcerer that rivals her power. 

“.... Something like that. It doesn't have to do with whether you live or die, though. You're going to survive this war no matter what.”

He lets out a sigh of relief, nearly collapsing to his knees. That alone was enough for him– the knowledge that he would live was enough to satisfy his basic instincts.

Her smile fades, and she looks distant again. As if she's thinking hard about what to say next. 

“However… Sometimes living is worse than dying.”

He understands what she means without having to ask questions. Just because he survives doesn't mean he'll end up horribly disfigured or worse… he's heard stories about that from investigators ranking much higher than him. 

“That’s where you come in.”

“Yes…”

She walks over to the pathetic scrap of paper that was supposed to be his will and pinches it between her fingers. 

“... This item alone has significant enough magic power to ensure your survival. So I'll hold onto it.”

“Wait, wait—” He waves a hand in the air as if that will straighten his thoughts. “— You're saying I have magic?”

She decides not to tell him about his potential. Letting him get cocky would be annoying. 

“All human beings have the ability to create a vessel that represents themselves. You wrote your soul onto this page, and someone with magic power can use it to keep you on this Earth… It's like a second heart.”

Written onto that page is everything Seidou Takizawa values. His service, his family, and the simple desire to live. It's no question that something written with such raw emotion would be able to hold a lot of magic. Even if she isn't the Witch of Resurrection, she'd be able to use this to keep him alive. 

“So I'm going to live. I get that. But what about…” He gestures vaguely. “... Everything else?”

“To live is not to survive, but to accomplish a happy and full life. The honorable death of a twenty year old and the death of an old man with no friends are two very different things.”

Simply surviving the battle isn't enough to grant him what he desires. He also has to keep living after that— he has to keep fighting for happiness. 

If something goes wrong… He might completely lose that opportunity. 

“Every human has the right to a happy life. The only difficult part is seizing it with your two hands.”

“What? So you're going to help me be happy? I don't need a little girl to be my therapist. Thanks.”

“Your happiness itself will require a miracle.”

“Huh?”

“Those who are born into tragedy are less likely to reach a happy life than someone who isn't. A child who was bullied becomes less likely to reach a happy life than someone who wasn't… Something as fickle as fate can completely change how easy it is for someone to become happy.”

He almost wants to brush her words off as insignificant, but he remembers the power she's shown so far and holds his tongue. 

“Fine, then. How likely is it for me to live happily after the battle?”

Bernkastel pauses and starts counting on her fingers. Even though he knows her numbers aren't arbitrary, he can't help but feel like she's only doing this to taunt him. 

“...... 0.00000001%”

Isn't that….. an astronomically small number…..?

“I’ve seen many tragedies, but you're one of the few with such pitiful odds that I've met.”

He lived a normal life. He hasn't lost any family like so many of his co-workers did. He had friends. He was completely… happy. 

Is that because his tragedy just hasn't begun yet? 

He almost wants to laugh— he had focused on such trivial things like his rank and usefulness, that he had never thought about his own happiness before. Maybe he has himself to blame. Because he never pursued happiness, his numbers have been going down this whole time. 

“Furthermore, your happiness and your family are connected. The worlds where you are unhappy are also worlds where your family is harmed.”

His heart drops. 

His own eternal unhappiness was one thing— but his family being dragged into it was a completely different matter. 

No matter what, he had to protect their right to happiness. 

“Okay, okay, I get it. You don't have to rub it in anymore.” He sighs, running a hand through his hair. “.... If I take your offer. You'll keep my family safe, right?” 

She closes her eyes and nods. Then, she stares at him with those same cold eyes. They bore into him with indifference– someone this bored with humanity will want something difficult from him. 

Even so, he can't bring himself to care. 

None of that matters in comparison to his beloved family. 

“Your final will and testament has enough power to create a vessel that will save your life. 

However... You are only a human, it can't create a miracle that will bring happiness to your friends and family. 

In other words, the odds of your survival are 100%— but the odds of your happiness in this world are 0.00000001%. 

For me, who can rip through fate like a wet sheet of paper, creating a world that protects your loved ones will be easy. 

So...

_........... Shall we create a miracle— Seidou Takizawa?”_

Her hand extends out to his, and he doesn't hesitate in shaking it. She laughs at his eagerness which frustrates him to no end. 

“You’re agreeing, even though you haven't heard my terms?”

“Whatever it is, I accept it!”

“Ahahaha…. I don't think this will be difficult for you at all. The only thing you need to do is become my piece on this game board, and keep me entertained until the very end.”

Maybe, Seidou Takizawa would have once rejected something like that. 

But he can acknowledge it now. 

From the very beginning, he's been no more than a mere pawn to the CCG. 

If he trades his pawn piece to Bernkastel, she might give him something even better. 

He may be able to become a knight, a rook, or even a king. 

If he thinks about it like that…. Ah, he can't stop himself from grinning….! 

“Right! I promise, you won't get sick of me! I'll keep fighting until everything is over!”

“I’m sure of that. I've always enjoyed characters like you. Hm… I'll let you return to your world for now, but don't forget this, alright?”

He nods, and Bernkastel fades into thin air. The world returns back to normal, as if she had never existed in the first place. 

He could have easily brushed her off as a dream, or some strange coping mechanism. 

However, the will that was dropped to his feet had disappeared. 

That empty spot on his bedroom floor is proof that the Witch of Miracles, Bernkastel truly exists. 


End file.
